Theology of the Icon, Volume One

“Why does the Church attribute such a great importance to the icon? The icon is not just a simple image, nor a decoration, nor even an illustration of Holy Scripture. It is something greater. It is an object of worship and an integral part of the liturgy. The Church sees in its holy image not simply one of the aspects of Orthodox teaching, but the expression of Orthodoxy in its totality, the expression of Orthodoxy as such. The icon is one of the manifestations of the holy Tradition of the Church, similar to the written and oral traditions. ...[T]he ‘icon,’ according to the teaching of the Church, corresponds entirely to the ‘word’ of Scripture.”—“Introduction”

CONTENTS

Introduction1 The Symbolism of the Church2 Origins of the Christian Image3 The First Icons of Christ and the Virgin4 The Art of the First Centuries5 Sacred Art in the Constantinian Epoch6 The Quinisext Council: Its Teachings on the Sacred Image7 The Pre-Iconoclastic Period8 The Iconoclastic Period: A Synopsis9 The Teaching of the Iconoclasts and the Orthodox Response10 The Meaning and Content of the Icon